Conspicuous Consumption

The Pandemic and YOU

Have your spending habits changed since the start of the pandemic? Do you spend more or less on clothes? How have the products you’ve bought since the start of the pandemic compare to the products you bought or wanted before the pandemic?

COVID-19 has changed our spending habits. Due to lockdown and social distancing measures, people were unable to spend money as lavishly as they did in the past. Consequently, everything from nail salons to shopping malls and car dealerships were hurting for business. The restaurant industry was particularly hard hit by the virus. At the end of 2020, 17 percent of US restaurants had permanently closed due to the pandemic, as millions of Americans cooked at home (Barratt 2020; Shoup 2020; Wiggs 2020).